Finale Results Show this Feedout
Most Profitable Since 2005

MT. VERNON, Mo.  The 2013-14 Missouri Steer Feedout results were presented during the "Finale" at Mt. Vernon on June 26 hosted by University of Missouri Extension.

There were 113 steers entered by 13 producers from across Missouri. Most were from the southwest corner of the state. The steers were all shipped to Gregory Feedlot, Tabor, Iowa on Nov. 5, 2013. They were slaughtered on two different dates April 8 and May 13 at Tyson's, Dennison, IA. Steer performance data collection was coordinated by the Iowa Tri-County Steer Carcass Futurity.

The Missouri Feedout is designed to provide individual gain, carcass yield and quality grades, profit per head data so participants can determine which cows and bulls are helping them be successful in the beef business. Neither prize money nor ribbons are given in the various categories.

The TCSCF gathers volumes of data besides the basics mentioned above. Examples include: docility scores each time they're run through the chute; feed cost per head; health treatment costs; total costs per hundred pounds of gain; retail value per days on feed, as well as retail value per day of age.

During the initial weighing in Missouri last November each calf was evaluated by a Missouri Department of Agriculture Market News Reporter and given a feeder calf grade for muscle and frame. In addition they assigned a price per hundred based on the current market in the area. The latter is used to determine feedlot profitability. The average price per hundred for the six weight steers last November was $164.

Overall, this was the most profitable feedout since 2005 with the profit average of $140.84 per head after all costs, as well as four deaths included. The top profit group by a narrow margin was five purebred Angus steers consigned by Norman Garton, Nevada. Their profit was $256 per head which beat out the second most profitable, a group of five purebred Charolais that made $249 per head for Gary Mallett, Baring.

The Garton steers had a gain of 3.89 pounds per day compared to the 3.62 rate for Mallett's. All of the Angus steers made low Choice or better and four qualified for the Certified Angus Beef (CAB) premium of $4.17 per cwt. The Mallett steers had three make low Choice or above and all five qualified for the $2.50 per cwt premium for achieving a yield grade of 2. A Yield Grade 1's received a $6.50 premium. The 1 Yield Grades came from Russell Marion, Pierce City, Kunkel Farms, Neosho and Keuper Farms, Ionia.

Seventy-nine percent of the steers made low Choice or better with only one achieving Prime. The Prime carcass was an Angus from Goodnight Angus Farms, Carthage. He received a $19.49 per cwt for his quality grade. Only about 3 percent of the cattle graded make Prime. Prime quality can be bred into a herd with genetic selection using expected progeny differences (EPDs).

The average daily gain for the Feedout was 3.60 pounds with a range in the thirteen groups from 4.01 to 2.81 pounds. The 4 pounders came from Bart Renkoski, Purdy on 13 head. He had the misfortune of losing two steers, otherwise his profitability would have been closer to the top.

The top steer on retail value per days on feed came from the Keuper group with a $7.65 per pound value. The TCSCF rates this as the best of five formulas in measuring feedlot profitability. The correlation between this retail value and profit in the feedlot is .88.

The top steer based on retail value per days of age, which considers pre-delivery to Iowa performance was entered by Jay Kerr, Mexico. His value was $5.12 per day.

For more information on the feedout program, contact your nearest University of Missouri Extension livestock specialist. A power point review of each of the thirteen groups in the recent feedout can be accessed at: http://extension.missouri.edu/lawrence

For more information, contact any of the MU Extension livestock specialists in southwest Missouri: Eldon Cole in Mt. Vernon, (417) 466-3102, Andy McCorkill in Dallas County at (417) 345-7551, Dr. Patrick Davis in Cedar County at (417) 276-3313 or Logan Wallace in Howell County at (417) 256-2391.

Photo credit: MU Extension

The top retail value per days on feed steer from Keuper Farms, Ionia. He was by a Simmental sire out of a Red Angus cross cow.

Photo credit: MU Extension

The top retail value per days of age steer from Jay Kerr, Mexico. His sire was an Angus Braunvieh-cross. His dam was an Angus cross.